Osceola's Mallicoat Wears The Look Of A Big Winner

Manager Dave Cripe's most successful starter, Mallicoat, 20, is 9-3 with a 1.21 earned-run average in 14 starts. In 97 innings, he posts a league-leading 89 strikeouts. Until Winter Haven got to Mallicoat for four earned runs Thursday at Osceola County Stadium, snapping Mallicoat's string of six consecutive victories, the lanky southpaw owned the league's best ERA (0.96), too.

Distraught after being battered in a 6-2 defeat, Mallicoat, 6-feet-3, 180 pounds, released the frustration on the golf course. ''It wasn't one of my best outings,'' he said. ''I was struggling to throw strikes. I don't think I was getting cocky or conceited. I think I was too comfortable with what I had done and I got knocked down.''

Having trouble throwing strikes should have been a warning sign. Strikes are Mallicoat's strong suit. Earlier, he struck out a season-high 14 in Osceola's 14-0 victory over Miami, no-hitting the Marlins through seven innings. He also has recorded a pair of 11-strikeout games.

Not scheduled to pitch again until Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Mallicoat attempts to regain his mental composure on the course at Buenaventura Lakes. ''I do this to relax, but I've never been one to relax. I'm too intense,'' he said, laughing at his own admission. ''I'm very competitive. When I do something good, I want to do it better the next time.''

Mallicoat's intensity follows him. After driving balls 270 yards, his next shot lofts a chunk of fairway grass 20 yards. Mallicoat shakes his head and puts shot three on the green.

Although he does almost everything left handed, Mallicoat plays golf from the right side ''because left-handed clubs were hard to find when I was learning how to play,'' he said.

The competitive streak rivals a 91-mph fastball and typlifies Mallicoat's intensity. ''When I throw a good pitch, I want to throw the next one better,'' he said. ''And I tend to overpitch.''

That kind of introspective nature often backfires.

''Sometimes, I get too involved in the physical mechanics of pitching. I lose touch with the game, my concentration suffers, and I struggle. That's what happened against Winter Haven.''

The presence of Houston's front-office brass -- Bob Kennedy, vice president of operations, and Al Rosen, the Astros' general manager -- may have weighed too heavily Mallicoat's concentration Thursday.

''Mr. Kennedy told me I was too concerned with the physical mechanics of pitching. He told me to loosen up and pitch,'' Mallicoat said.

Baseball always came easy for the three-sport letterman. After giving up high school football and basketball to concentrate on baseball, Mallicoat's didn't grab a lot of publicity at Hillsboro High in Portland, Ore. The Spartans' ace was only 5-3 as a senior, but had impressive numbers: 117 strikeouts, 15 walks, and an 0.80 ERA in 80 innings.

Support was his biggest problem. ''Hillsboro wasn't a very good team. I never had a lot of offensive support,'' he said.

Still, it was decent enough that Detroit made the lanky southpaw its sixth- round choice in the June, 1983 draft.

Mallicoat rejected the chance to turn pro because ''I didn't think I was ready . . . I wanted to be on my own for a while, to see if I could handle it. I wanted to try college, see what it was like.''

At Taft (Calif.) Junior College, Mallicoat continued to improve. Suddenly, ''everything I was doing pointed toward a career in baseball.'' The self doubts vanished.

''I had a great year: 7-0, 109 strikeouts in 74 innings; good control, 30 walks; and a 1.80 earned-run average. But, more importantly, I was more consistent with my fastball and showed more stamina.''

Not suprisingly, Houston made Mallicoat a first-round pick in the 1983 winter draft. Once signed, the rookie was sent to Auburn in the New York-Penn League before being promoted to Asheville, N.C., in the Class A South Atlantic League, where he was 3-4 with a 3.92 ERA.

Mallicoat came into his own in the SAL playoffs, picking up three victories in five days during the Tourists' 1984 championship drive.

In the off-season, he played winter ball in Columbia. ''I almost thought I was pitching too much after 250 innings,'' he said. ''But, so far, I haven't had any arm problems.''

In Houston's charge, Mallicoat has been afforded invaluable training from pitching coaches Les Moss and Charlie Taylor who suggest ways for Mallicoat to improve pitches, form and delivery.

Like all minor leaguers, Mallicoat wants his chance to play in the majors. ''I'd like to think I could pitch in the big leagues by the time I was 24,'' he said. ''But that's a very flexible goal.

''I need a break, but I'm working hard to make my own break,too,'' he said. ''I'm trying to do everything right because in this game you make your own luck.''

With Osceola, Mallicoat enjoys the offensive support he didn't have in high school. He also has more support from the bullpen in the form of Earl Cash, Aubrey Lucas and Mark Baker.